TJ Dawe
Broadcast Ratings Hammered In Q2, Even With DVRs Factored In: Analyst
“There is no way to sugarcoat this: broadcast has taken a beating,” Nomura Securities’ Michael Nathanson says this morning in his quarterly report on primetime TV viewing. He assesses the market the way most networks and advertisers do — folding in DVR views of a show up to three days after a live broadcast (known in the industry as C3). He finds that the major networks were down 9.4% among the target 18 to 49 year olds vs the same period last year while cable networks were only off 0.4%. It’s the second consecutive quarter of substantial declines for broadcasters. And it’s worrisome for them because many now want to count DVR eyeballs — even though lots of users skip over ads. Live viewing in the demographic has declined for 15 successive quarters; in Q2 it fell 15.2% for the broadcast networks and 4.3% for cable. Fox was hit hardest with C3 ratings -18.7% followed by NBC (-11.8%) and ABC (-9.7%). CBS, however, was up 8.4%. Over in cable, companies with meaningful increases in year-over-year C3 ratings were Disney (+25.8%) and Scripps Networks (+8.8%) — results were gloomier for AMC Networks (-8.2%), Viacom (-7.7%), and Time Warner (-6.6%). Still, Nathanson has some encouraging news for networks concerned that ad skipping will become a lot more commonplace as the number of DVR households grows from 40% now to 47% expected in 2015. New users don’t appear to be as fast on the trigger: The percentage of broadcast commercials skipped by DVR users dropped to 46.7% in the 2011/2012 season from 58.8% in 2007/2008. For cable, 50.4% of the ads were skipped this past season vs. 52.8% in 2007/2008.
Broadcast Ratings Hammered In Q2, Even With DVRs Factored In: Analyst
Manning's treatment should 'shock' court: lawyer
Evidence showing the mistreatment of WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning at a military brig should "shock the conscience" of the court, his lawyer said Thursday.
The US Army soldier accused of handing over a trove of secret documents to the WikiLeaks website was subjected to harsh, "unlawful" conditions for nine months at the brig even though psychiatrists concluded he was not at risk of committing suicide, said David Coombs, his defense counsel.
Manning was placed under "maximum custody" at the US Marine Corps Brig in Quantico, Virginia as "the result of a direct order" from a commanding officer, witnessed by two colonels, Coombs alleged at a pre-trial hearing.
Manning’s treatment should ‘shock’ court: lawyer
Every state, and even some cities and towns, have outdated laws that are still technically in effect, but most are no longer followed. I've compiled a list of silly and outrageous laws, simply as proof that some strange and superstitious folks had too much power at one time or another in American history.
Out-Dated Laws
Morgan Stanley's revenue falls sharply
Morgan Stanley says revenue was down sharply in the second quarter.
Net income rose to $564 million from a loss last year of $558 million, when the bank took big charges to cut down its obligations to a Japanese financial firm that is a shareholder.
Earnings came to 29 cents per share. Analysts surveyed by FactSet were expecting 32 cents.
Revenue tumbled 24 percent to $7 billion from $9.2 billion. That number included the benefit of an accounting gain.
The biggest change was in the institutional securities unit, where profits plunged 63 percent. That unit includes investment banking services like trading stocks and bonds. Profits also fell slightly in wealth management and asset management.
The stock is down 3 percent in pre-market trading, losing 40 cents to $13.59.
Morgan Stanley’s revenue falls sharply
WikiLeaks data could have predicted insurgency but the military failed to use it
"For the first time, we have large data sets from places like Facebook and Twitter that we can analyze with high-powered computers and get meaningful results," Paulo Shakarian, a computer scientist at the United States Military Academy at West Point, adds to the Times. "Iraq and Afghanistan are the very first conflicts where we have been collecting as much data as we possibly can."
WikiLeaks data could have predicted insurgency but the military failed to use it
Background checks may be extended for gun-buyers
Law enforcement leaders want to ensure that criminals and other prohibited purchasers are prevented from obtaining guns. Hubert Williams is President of the Police Foundation. He says guns are taking a greater toll of the men and women in blue, and closing this loophole is necessary to improve their safety and that of the public. “It is time to turn off the spigot that is producing a free flow of guns to criminals.”
Background checks may be extended for gun-buyers
Texting overtakes talking in UK, says Ofcom study
People in the UK are now more likely to text than to make a phone call, according to new research from Ofcom.
While 58% of people communicated via texts on a daily basis in 2011, only 47% made a daily mobile call, said the country's communications industry regulator.
It said the shift away from traditional ways of keeping in touch was being led by young people aged 16-24.
The new trends were revealed in its annual communications market report.
The average UK consumer now sends 50 texts per week while fewer calls are being made on both fixed and mobile phones.
For the first time, there was a fall in the volume of mobile calls - by just over 1% - in 2011, while landline calls were down by 10%.
Overall time spent on the phone fell by 5% in 2011.
Texting overtakes talking in UK, says Ofcom study
Concept bandages change color for better wound care
It's time for simple personal bandages for your cuts and scrapes to enter the 21st century. Just covering a wound isn't enough — with today's advances in medicine they should be able to help speed the healing process instead of just getting skanky and falling off in the pool.
The AmoeBAND concept updates wound care by changing color to alert users when a change is needed, and being flexible enough to stay put until it is. It also allows you to check your wound without removing the bandage and exposing it to unnecessary dirt and bacteria. The dressing material covering the cut is sensitive to pH changes in your wound; if the pH is between 6.5 and 8.5, it means infection has been detected and a purple indicator cross alerts the wearer to change the bandage and call your doctor if needed.
FUTURE PRIMATE 